The 16-year-old defendant charged with killing two students and two teachers during a 2024 shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia has entered a guilty plea, paving the way for a life sentence in prison without parole.
Colt Gray, who was 14 at the time of the shooting, was charged as an adult with 55 counts, including murder in the four deaths and 25 counts of aggravated assault. His trial had been scheduled to start in mid-October.
The shooting in September 2024 resulted in the deaths of teachers Richard "Ricky" Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53, and students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14. Another teacher and eight students were wounded, with seven of them hit by gunfire.
The victims' families expressed their grief and outrage in court on Friday. Shayna Aspinwall, the wife of Richard Aspinwall, described the "constant grief" of losing her husband, while Breanna Schermerhorn, the mother of Mason Schermerhorn, demanded that Colt Gray be sentenced to life without parole, stating that he had taken away her son's future.
Before accepting the plea, the judge asked Colt Gray a series of questions to ensure that he was aware of the consequences of his plea and was entering it voluntarily. Gray responded "yes" to each question.
As a result of the guilty plea, Colt Gray faces a minimum sentence of life in prison. The judge must now decide whether he should be eligible for parole after hearing victim statements, evidence, and each side's summary of the case.
